Tool



Aug. 24, 1937.

l. C. M KECHNIE El AL TOOL Filed 00'0. 2, 1936 IN VENTOR HIV/E MD /AN 6'. Melt BY RUSSELL PAT - ATTORNEYS.

0 considerable difficulty has been encountered in Patented Aug. 24, 1937 I UNITED STATES:

v PATENT orrlcs TOOL Ian 0. McKechnie, Detroit, and Russell A. Pattison, Warren, Mich., assignors to Chrysler 00!- poration, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application October 2, 1936, Serial NIL-1.3546 2 Claims. ('01. 214-152) This invention relates to an improved tool, and more particularly to a tool or device for removing a lens from its lamp support, although the invention in its broader aspects is not to be so limited.

In vehicle headlamps wherein the lens is of the hingeless type and is maintained in assembled position by a yielding self-latching device engageabie with a peripheral flange of the lens,

'it is then necessary to merely shift the lens sidewise. When this operation is performed it is necessary for the workman to engage the lens with his hands but this has proved to be difficult due to the absence of a suitable gripping surface and as a result the lens in many instances is dropped and breakage. occurs. Injuries have been caused to the hands of workmen by'break- 'ing of the lens during removal where it has been necessary to apply too great a degree of force.

One of the main objects of this invention is to overcome these difliculties by the provision of improved means for application to the lens for supporting the latter during removal. More specifically, the invention provides an improved support adapted for manual gripping and having means thereon for detachably engaging the outer surface of the lens to' secure the latterto the support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for a removable headlamp lens having suction producing means carried thereby for engagement with the outer surface of the lens for securing the latter to the support.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a support of this character improved suction producing means for securing the support t6 the lens to be removed so constructed and arranged as to readily conform to the contour of the adjacent surface of the lens upon application thereto.

- Other objects of the invention are to provide a device for supporting a lens during removal thereof having a soft resilient yieldable surface for engaging the lens and which will not scratch or otherwise mark the latter, and to provide a device of this character which may be produced at a minimum cost.

The above being among the objects of the present invention the same consists in certain novel features of constructlon and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with refer ence to the accompanying drawing and claims, having the above and other objects in view.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in-the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. l is a side elevations! view of a headlamp showing the improved tool or device the lens thereof. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, portions thereof being broken away and in section. 'v

Fig. 3 is a side elevational plan view of the tool or device shownin Figs. 1 and 2.

tion, of the tool as viewed in the direction of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the tool as viewed in the direction of the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral ll designates a headlamp for a motor vehicle'having a rim H, the front flange II of which engages the peripheral flange of a lens ll having a convex outerface. A reflector il having a channelled periphery receiving a sealing gasket 15 which engages the inner face of the peripheral flange of the lens, is positioned rearwardly of the latter. A' pressure plate i6 abuts the channelled periphery of the reflector and is urged outwardly by one of several coil springs, shown at H, each of which is mounted on a pin i8 carried by the plate Ii and has one end portion slidably disposed in an aperture of a vertically extending flange ll of the lamp structure. At other spaced locations the rim ll and pressure plate ii are provided with aligned openings-for receiving a. pin I! having a head bearing against the outer face of the flange l2 and the other end portion thereof having an opening fora. cotter pin 20 to prevent unintentional displacement of the parts. The springs ll urge the lens'l3 outwardly or to the rightns viewed in Fig. 2, causing the peripheral flange, thereof to be engaged by the flange 12 of the rim ll When it is desired to remove the lens the latter is urged rearwardly, or to the left as viewed in Fig. 2, against the action of the springs II to efi'ect disengagement of the rim flange I: therefrom and the lens is then shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2.

This invention relates more specifically to a attached to Fig. 4 is aside elevaticnal view, partly in sectool or device, generally indicated by the numeral 2|, for detachably supporting the lens I3 during removal or installation thereof. The tool 2| includes a body 22, of generally arcuate contour asshown in'Fig. 2, having oppositely extending lateral projections 23 at one extremity thereof, and handles 24 andj25 for manual gripping. Each of the handles has a threaded reduced end portion which is received in a respective aperture in the body 22 and retained in position by nut members 26 and 21 respectively threaded thereon. A channel shaped bracket 28 having an aperture therein for receiving the reduced end of the handle .25 is also retained in position by the nut member 21.,

A cup-shaped suction gripping member 29, I preferably comprising rubber or other suitable material, is secured to the free end portion of each of the lateral pro ections 23 and has embedded therein the head of a bolt 30 passing through an aperture in the projection and retained thereby by a nut 31. The bolts 30 are so disposed that the axis thereof is substantially perpendicular to a tangent to the curved surface of the lens l3. Thus, the section gripping members 29 have their edge portions arranged so as to approximately coincide with a tangent to the curved surface of said lens. The projections 23 are generally arcuate in contour transverse to the arcuate contour of the body 22 so that the suction gripping members 29 may be readily applied to the convex outer face of 1 the lens I3. Another suction gripping member 32, similar to the members 29, and spaced therefrom, is pivotally mounted on a pin 33 supported in the bracket 28, as best shown in Fig. '5. By mounting the member 32 for bodily movement relative to the body of the tool, the former may be readily manipulated to adapt itselfto a-position for suitable engagement with the lens. A re-' 40 silient abutment member 34 preferably comprising rubber, is attached to the lower extremity of the body 22, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and is adapted to bear against the face of the lens I3 when the tool is applied thereto and to serve as a stop for pre- 45 venting disengaging movements of gripping members during manipulation of a lens by the tool.

In removing the lens from its headlamp attachment the tool is attached to the lens l3 by engagement of the suction producing members 29 59 and 32 therewith through the application of manually directed force, the air being expelled from the space between the adjacent surface of the lens l3 and suction gripping members 29 and 32, creating a vacuum attachment of the latter to the lens. Removal of the lens is then effected in the manner heretofore described by the tool during which operation the latter supports the lens and the danger of breakage resulting from dropping, as when removal is attemped by direct manual engagement, is materially minimized.

While the invention is illustrated and described in connection with a lens having a convex outer face, it will be apparent that the tool may be suitably shaped for application tov a lens having a different contour.

It'will be understood, of course, that the tool may be utilized for handling objects other than a lens, and that the illustration herein is but one application of the invention and its use and scope is not to be limited other than by the terms of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The method of removing a lens from a lamp support of the type having a yieldable self-latching device engageable with a peripheral flange of the lens, which comprises applying a suction gripping member to the outer face of said lens so that it is detachably secured thereto, pushing said suction gripping member inwardly toward said support to thus move said lens inwardly relatively to said support, shifting said lens bodily by means of said suction gripping member until it attains a position with respect to said lamp support which will permit withdrawal thereof from said support, and then withdrawing said lens from said lamp support by means of said suction gripping member.

2. The method of inserting a lens in a lamp support of the type having a yieldable self-latching device engageable with a peripheral flange of the lens, which comprises detachably securing said lens to a suction gripping member, inserting said lens in a temporary position in said lamp support by means of said suction gripping member, shifting said lens bodily to a position approximating its final position by said suction gripping member, and then pushing inwardly on said suction gripping member to thus move said lens inwardly relatively to said lamp support, and then shifting said lens while pressed inwardly to its final position by means of said suction gripping member.

IAN C. MCKECHNIE. RUSSELL A, PATTISON. 

